Topology of the substrate-binding site of a Lys49-phospholipase A2 influences Ca2+-independent membrane-damaging activity.

BthTx-I (bothropstoxin-I) is a myotoxic Lys49-PLA2 (phospholipase A2 with Lys49) isolated from Bothrops jararacussu venom, which damages liposome membranes by a Ca2+-independent mechanism. The highly conserved Phe5/Ala102/Phe106 motif in the hydrophobic substrate-binding site of the Asp49-PLA2s is substituted by Leu5/Val102/Leu106 in the Lys49-PLA2s. The Leu5/Val102/Leu106 triad in BthTx-I was sequentially mutated via all single- and double-mutant combinations to the Phe5/Ala102/Phe106 mutant. All mutants were expressed as inclusion bodies in Escherichia coli, and the thermal stability (Tm), together with the myotoxic and Ca2+-independent membrane-damaging activities of the recombinant proteins, were evaluated. The far-UV CD profiles of the native, wild-type recombinant and the L106F (Leu106-->Phe) and L5F/F102A/L106F mutant proteins were identical. The L5F, V102A, L5F/V102A and V102A/L106F mutants showed distorted far-UV CD profiles; however, only the L5F and L5F/V102A mutants showed significant decreases in Tm. Alterations in the far-UV CD spectra correlated with decreased myotoxicity and protein-induced release of a liposome-entrapped marker. However, the V102A/L106F and L5F/V102A/L106F mutants, which presented high myotoxic activities, showed significantly reduced membrane-damaging activity. This demonstrates that the topology of the substrate-binding region of BthTx-I has a direct effect on the Ca2+-independent membrane damage, and implies that substrate binding retains an important role in this process.